A very pleasant surprise from Naxos
F. Behrens | Keene, NH USA | 02/16/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The British Light Music series on Marco Polo (import) label is a wonder and a delight, but the concentration up to now has been on English composers. Therefore the latest addition, (8. 225048), is most welcome. Here we have eight composers, the first of which is Grace Williams--"perhaps the best and the first woman composer to achieve eminence outside her native Wales" [liner notes]--whose charming "Fantasy on Welsh Nursery Tunes" opens the program. The names of the other composers (Walford, Walters, Hoddinott, Burtch, Mathias, and Parrott) have low recognition quotients, I am told, even in other parts of the British Isles; but be assured that all this music ranges from the very pleasant to the quite beautiful. As with other CDs in this series, some of the music is facile and "pop," some more classically grounded--but all worth the hearing once and many times to come."
Unknown composer?
John Will | 03/12/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is indeed a wide and colourful representation of some of the exciting and innovative composers Wales has produced. However, I disagree with the last reviewers impression that composers such as Hoddinott and Mathias are relatively unknown. Not the case. They are well represented on CD and their music, particularly that of the luminous symphonist Hoddinott, is performed regularly all over the UK by the excellent BBC National Orchestra of Wales a nd abroad. I recommend Hoddinott's cello concerto written , and performed, on disc by the great Rostropovich."
Track Listings (17) - Disc #1